1. Field of the Invention
The present invention is related to the field of photograph processors. In particular, the present invention provides an improved method of developing photographic film, paper, and the like.
2. Description of Related Art
A wide variety of automated and manual photograph film and paper developing systems have been proposed in the past. Manual photograph processors include systems in which developing chemicals are poured into a light-tight drum containing photographic material, and the drum is placed on a roller for a desired amount of time. The drum is then manually removed from the roller, and the chemical is poured from the drum by the user. Such manual systems have also been supplemented with a "lift" from which chemicals can be poured into/out of the drum.
Such manual systems require constant attention by the user and are prone to errors. Such errors arise because, for example, the user may be distracted and not remove a chemical at the optimum time, or does not account for the time a chemical is in contact with the photographic film while the chemical is being poured from the drum.
In order to overcome these problems, a wide variety of automated processors have been proposed. Such processors use air pressure and/or pumps to move chemistry from one location to the next within the processor. Chemicals are pumped into the processing drum, agitated with the paper or film for a pre-determined period of time, poured from the drum, the next chemical is pumped into the drum, and the process is repeated. Automated processors may also include a mechanism for timing the mixing time of the chemicals and for controlling the agitation speed of the drum. The complexity of such processors has relegated their use almost solely to commercial laboratories because of their extremely high cost. Hobbyists have, therefore, been generally unable to acquire and use such devices. Automated processors are described in, for example, U.S. Pat. No. 4,035,818. Automated processors in the marketplace include those marketed by JOBO Fototechnic, Inc. such as the "Autolab ATL3."
It is desirable, therefore, to provide an improved photograph processing method and apparatus which could greatly decrease the cost of such systems.